QCAD/CAM g-code output to 3018 Prover Engraver

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Andre914
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QCAD/CAM g-code output to 3018 Prover Engraver

Post by Andre914 » Thu Sep 08, 2022 4:32 am

Has anyone successfully created g-code output to operate a 3018 Prover engraver?
I have tried nearly every available CAM output configuration and have not gotten any reasonable machine movements.
I have created designs in QCAD 3.27.6.0 (3.27.6) on a WIndows 10 PC.
I have the latest UGS software that will control machine zeroing and jogging and has run g-code programs from other users.

Help with getting this working would be greatly appreciated.

Andrew

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Husky
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Re: QCAD/CAM g-code output to 3018 Prover Engraver

Post by Husky » Thu Sep 08, 2022 6:32 am

Hi Andre914,
Andre914 wrote:
Thu Sep 08, 2022 4:32 am
I have tried nearly every available CAM output configuration ...
not knowing which commands are supported by your controller/machine I created one g-codeI with "G-Code (G41/G42) [in]" and one with "GBRL (offset) [in]". Loaded both g-codes into the UGS software and at first glance both are looking pretty good to me. My impression is UGS has no problems to read g-code created by QCAD/CAM.


Husky-2022.09.07-03.png
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Andre914 wrote:
Thu Sep 08, 2022 4:32 am
... have not gotten any reasonable machine movements.
You are sure it is a software and not a hardware issue? Maybe this can help ...

Testing Your 3018-PROVer CNC
https://docs.sainsmart.com/article/uf38 ... prover-cnc
Work smart, not hard: QCad Pro
Win10/64, QcadPro, QcadCam version: Current.
If a thread is considered as "solved" please change the title of the first post to "[solved] Title..."

CVH
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Re: QCAD/CAM g-code output to 3018 Prover Engraver

Post by CVH » Thu Sep 08, 2022 7:15 am

Andrew,

First, this is rather a topic for the QCAD/CAM forum.
You could REPORT your own topic and ask the moderators to move it to the appropriate forum.

It is the purpose of the CAM postprocessor to deliver a G-code dialect that is understood by your CNC controller board software.

From your description I take that this is a 3018-PROVer and the Universal Gcode Sender software.
The 3018-PROVer is sold with a variety of controllers.
The software can work together with several kinds of controller boards.

It would then boil down to Grbl and both an inch and a mm postprocessor using offsetting are provided in QCAM.
Andre914 wrote:
Thu Sep 08, 2022 4:32 am
tried nearly every available CAM output configuration ...
... has run g-code programs from other users.
I take that the hardware side is functional and UGS is controlling the 3018 just fine. :P

Grbl comes in flavors and UGS is very versatile.
Perhaps you could provide us a working G-code file.
We could help you better from there.

Regards,
CVH

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Grafpaper
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Re: QCAD/CAM g-code output to 3018 Prover Engraver

Post by Grafpaper » Wed Nov 23, 2022 1:12 am

I’m learning the 3018 Prover hobby cnc machine. I made a simple icon file in QCADCAM (in mm) and used the CAM Export and got following lines of code that seems incomplete (I’m also new to QCADCAM):
N1&G99
N2 Z0.000G92
N3 G90
N4 M2

I tried the CAM Legacy Export and got a good .NC file that worked on my 3018 Prover after deleting the first line: N10 G00 Z100 which is a default Z-Safety parameter (the 3018 Z-axis has about 35mm travel). The file has 480 lines of code which seems like a lot for a small test.

While troubleshooting my initial operation of the Prover I tried several open-source control software; Candle (came with Prover), USG, and OpenBuilds Control. They all work but I think they prefer files with metric dimensions, OpenBuilds Control supports inches.

I also imported my QCAD .DXL file into Lightburn to test the laser configuration of the 3018 Prover and it worked too.
QCADCAM version 3.28.2 on Windows 11

CVH
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Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2017 4:17 pm

Re: QCAD/CAM g-code output to 3018 Prover Engraver

Post by CVH » Wed Nov 23, 2022 6:02 am

Grafpaper wrote:
Wed Nov 23, 2022 1:12 am
and got the following lines of code which seem incomplete (I'm also new to QCADCAM):
You probably didn't create a toolpath to export.
The export of the G-code is not incomplete, it is completely empty. :wink:
Grafpaper wrote:
Wed Nov 23, 2022 1:12 am
The file has 480 lines of code, which seems like a lot for a small test.
It all depends, single pass, multi pass, several toolpaths, ...
G-code is textual and can be several ten to hundred thousand lines long or even much more.

Maybe you can include some sample files for us to take a look. :wink:

Regards,
CVH

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Grafpaper
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Re: QCAD/CAM g-code output to 3018 Prover Engraver

Post by Grafpaper » Thu Nov 24, 2022 4:40 am

Thanks for the information. I realize now that I hadn't done the toolpath operation. That must be one difference from the legacy export. Being new to the hobby cnc process I was happy to get good first tests of the router and laser using a variety of tools. I'm learning, at least I know that QCADCAM produces code my machine can use.

I'm wondering what the Z-safety parameter is for. I saw in the preferences where I can set it.
QCADCAM version 3.28.2 on Windows 11

CVH
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Re: QCAD/CAM g-code output to 3018 Prover Engraver

Post by CVH » Thu Nov 24, 2022 7:25 am

Grafpaper wrote:
Thu Nov 24, 2022 4:40 am
I'm wondering what the Z-safety parameter is for.
Z-safety is a height in Z where your setup can travel at maximum Feed without hitting something.
Think of clamping features or other obstructions. :wink:
Mostly used for rapid G0 movements.

As engraver I even have two safe levels, a local and a global one.
Local to retract a bit so my engraving point just hovers freely over the work-piece.
Global to move on to the next piece that is clamped on my bed.
Retracting takes time and I don't want to retract fully several hundred times for each sub-path :wink:

Regards,
CVH

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